Historic Diplomatic Gathering: SCO Summit in Islamabad

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and other leaders attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Islamabad, marking the first visit of an Indian minister in a decade. The event aims to discuss regional cooperation amidst heightened security following recent attacks in Pakistan.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar made a landmark visit to Pakistan on Tuesday to attend a crucial summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Islamabad. This is the first such visit by an Indian official in nearly a decade, highlighting ongoing tensions between the two nuclear-powered neighbors.

The SCO summit, an influential gathering of Eurasian countries including leading players like Russia and China, aims to bolster regional security and trade cooperation. Among the attendees were high-profile leaders such as Chinese Premier Li Qiang and several prime ministers, including Russia's Mikhail Mishustin, signaling the importance of the meeting for the host nation, Pakistan.

While Islamabad is under tight security measures due to recent violent incidents, including fatal attacks on Chinese engineers and miners, the government's efforts to ensure the summit's success reflect the region's desire to counterbalance Western influence. High-level discussions are expected to focus on strengthening economic ties among SCO members.

(With inputs from agencies.)